Until recently even the huge airliners had physical strings going from the rudder all the way to the wing and tail control surfaces. Precisely because more com

Until recently even the huge airliners had physical strings going from the rudder all the way to the wing and tail control surfaces. Precisely because more complex systems were less reliable. Also, even with fly by wire there’s sometimes (or often, or always, no idea) a backup, eg a direct electric / hydraulic link.